The Small Stuff

My dad has about a million little sayings locked inside his head that he on occasion

shares with me in times of stress, pain, mistakes, or just to be funny. For example, I recently

shared the jewel “never fry bacon naked” with my roommate (who was fully clothed). She did

not necessarily appreciate it while jumping out of the way of the hot bacon grease that was

popping but I thought it was HILARIOUS. Anyway, my dad has a certain saying that has been

on my heart recently. It’s “don’t sweat the small stuff Alex, and guess what? it’s all small stuff”.

Now I feel like the world we are living in has a lot of BIG stuff going on, so I was

battling with this little anecdote of my father’s. I struggle with anxiety and I just kept thinking

about all the big stuff that I deal with daily. For one, we have a pandemic going on and I am an

ER nurse… that is kind of a lot. Also, this whole election season has been nothing but arguing,

stress and an avoidance of social media. There is family illness, work, finances, mental health,

etc. always happening, how can my dad say it is all small stuff?

This is the point when that still small voice of God’s reminded me “In this world you will

have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). In this moment I stopped

and thought. Oh. God, I had kind of forgotten about your part in all of this. All the sudden the

fact that “it’s all small stuff” made so much more sense.

None of this is to say that the struggles and pain of this life are not important or any less

real. As humans we go through so much suffering it almost seems like it will swallow us up

some days. But in the light of Christ and His sacrifice, I don’t need to be afraid. When I

remember the love and mercy of God the Father, it is all “small stuff”. Sickness will come and

go. God will remain. World leaders will rise and fall. God will remain. One day myself and

everyone I love will pass away. God will remain.

So, when I stop to contemplate this truth, the things that fill me with anxiety don’t seem

quite as overwhelming. The small day to day situations that usually stress me out don’t have the

power to phase me. I find myself embracing the joy in each and every moment instead of

thinking about all the things that could go wrong.

God doesn’t want us to live in fear. He invites us into this deep and vulnerable trust that

makes us remember we really aren’t in control. But how beautiful is that? To know the weight of

the world does not rest on our shoulders, but on His who created it. To be able to let go of the fist

we clench so tightly of the things we want. Because, if both our fists are closed and grasping to

the things of this life, we have no room to hold God’s hand. With all of that in mind, I invite you

today to take a step back and remember that God will not abandon us. That He is a good father

and good fathers take care of their children. And honestly, when compared to an eternity of

union with him, it is all “small stuff”.

- Alex Kerschen